Found footage horror has a bad reputation, and honestly? It earned it. After decades of shaky-cam knockoffs stumbling through the woods in Blair Witch’s shadow, the subgenre had started to feel like a graveyard of cheap tricks and cheaper budgets. So when a film comes along that actually uses the format as something more than a gimmick, it’s worth sitting up and paying attention.
In Our Blood is that film.
Directed by Pedro Kos — a first-time narrative feature filmmaker who happens to be Oscar-nominated in documentary filmmaking — the film brings genuine documentary sensibilities to the found footage genre, and the result feels lived-in and disturbingly real. The premise sounds deceptively simple: filmmaker Emily Wyland (Brittany O’Grady) teams up with cinematographer Danny (E.J. Bonilla) to shoot an intimate documentary about reuniting with Emily’s estranged mother after a decade apart. When her mother suddenly goes missing, possibly succumbing to the addictions that tore her family apart, Emily and Danny must piece together increasingly sinister clues to find her before it’s too late.
What begins as a quiet, emotionally raw family drama quickly metastasizes into something far darker.
A Slow Burn That Actually Earns Its Payoff
The film’s biggest strength — and the thing that separates it from the found footage pack — is patience. Nothing is too rushed, and all the tension grows in small steps, which helps build an unsettling feeling of dread. The film gives you clues and enough information to make you think, but not so much that the story becomes easily predictable.
As Emily delves deeper into her mother’s community, she and Danny begin to uncover bizarre notions ranging from decapitated pig heads left in bathrooms, local gangs, and the underground distribution of blood bags. Yes — In Our Blood gets wild. But it earns every escalation.
Kos has crafted a narrative that does not rely heavily on overt gore or jump scares to establish a genuinely unsettling atmosphere. It is often more alarming to examine the transformations individuals undergo due to profoundly human experiences, particularly when the boundaries of morality and ethics become obscured.
Brittany O’Grady Is a Star
Brittany O’Grady, as Emily, delivers a deeply grounded portrayal of fear and resilience. She captures the emotional unraveling of her character with precision, making every moment of terror feel authentic rather than performative. There are so many unspoken moments from her throughout In Our Blood. Her performance commands your attention.
E.J. Bonilla brings a lot of heart to Danny, and some comic relief — making him a lovable friend who provides the support Emily needs. Because of this, there’s an added sadness to the twist when it comes.
More Than Just Scares
What really sets In Our Blood apart is what it’s actually about. It’s a horror movie, yes, but also a story about addiction, generational wounds, and the kind of ghosts we inherit. In a genre crowded with hollow imitations, In Our Blood feels startlingly alive.
The film is a tragic look at the depths of addiction and vulnerable people who slip through the cracks when they need society’s help the most, culminating in a shocking end that elevates the eerie mockumentary to terrifying heights.
A Few Rough Edges
It’s not flawless. The film’s final act tonal shift feels a bit jarring at times, and there are a few scenes where the investigation circles the same points without adding much. There are also moments when you question why the camera is still recording — a familiar found footage problem.
But these are minor grievances against an otherwise confident debut.
The Verdict
In Our Blood wraps itself in the visual language of documentary filmmaking that it then proceeds to cannibalize in intriguing and incisive ways — a story with a mystery at its center that, by the time it reveals itself, will have you levitating out of your chair.
Currently boasting a rare 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, In Our Blood is a gripping mix of horror and thriller. True crime fans will eat this up for dinner.
Pedro Kos arrived in narrative horror with something to say — and the craft to say it. See it before someone spoils the ending.
Rating: 4/5